Luke 21:25-36

²⁵ [Jesus says,] “And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, ²⁶ people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ²⁷ And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. ²⁸ Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

²⁹ And he told them a parable: “Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. ³⁰ As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. ³¹ So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. ³² Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. ³³ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away.

³⁴ “But watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. ³⁵ For it will come upon all who dwell on the face of the whole earth. ³⁶ But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Dear saints, it is Advent, so we consider and prepare for the coming of Jesus. Advent prepares to remember and celebrate His first coming in our flesh to die, rise again, and save us from our sin. In Advent, we also recognize that Christ regularly comes to us as we gather together around His Word and Sacrament. But we also prepare for Jesus’ second coming in power and glory to judge the living and the dead. That is the focus today.

Jesus came once, and He is coming again. This does take faith, but Christ’s return does is not difficult to believe. Jesus has already come once to pay for your sins and redeem you. So, there is no doubt that He’s going to come back to retrieve you.

Imagine if someone went to Rydell’s, requested the most expensive car on the lot, and paid for it in cash. (I looked and, right now, it’s a ’22 Cadillac Escalade that costs $112,000.) If that buyer told the dealer, “Hold on to it for me. I’ll be back to pick it up.” If he is delayed a few days, a week, even a month, the employees would know; he’s coming back. He paid for it, so he’ll be back to get it. Well, your Savior, Jesus has ransomed you from this dark and fallen world. He purchased you not with silver or gold, but with His holy and precious blood (1 Pet. 1:18-19). There is no doubt: He will come back to claim you as His own.

Now, of all the passages of Scripture describing Christ’s return, this one might be the most encouraging and reassuring – even with all those horrific signs. It is comforting because it puts perspective on all the evil that surrounds you. The signs Jesus mentions – the powers of the heavens and the entire world being shaken, the distress of nations and perplexity at the roaring of the sea and waves – all those, according to Jesus, are signs for you to straighten up. In other words, while the world and all creation crumbles around you, you are to raise up your heads because your redemption is drawing near.

But you do need to watch yourselves. Don’t be consumed by the signs and get weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness, and the cares of this life. That day will come upon many like a trap that snaps shut and kills its prey. So, be very aware of how you are reacting to the things you see even now.

All the things going on in the world – the politicization of absolutely everything, pandemic, violence, division, descension, natural disasters, economic difficulties, and even the sorrows we endure in this world – all these things are signs that this world can not and will not endure. So, watch yourself now and consider what those things do to you. Jesus doesn’t want you running around in a panic like Chicken Little now, and He doesn’t want you falling into a trap then. All of these signs point, not to your destruction, but to your redemption. You’ve heard me use this illustration before, but it is too good to not regularly use, and it can be easy to forget this.

Imagine that you are in a castle at night, and suddenly all the guards and soldiers start running to the walls of the castle. They suit up in their armor; grab their swords, battle axes, bows, and arrows; and take their positions on the wall because, outside the castle walls, an army is marching to attack the castle. The boots of the attacking army stop, and you hear the shouts of captains telling the troops to load the catapults and start banging away at the castle gate with the battering ram. Then you hear it. BOOM! The battering ram hits the castle doors, and the walls shake. BOOM! A rock launched from a catapult hits its target. Windows break, glass comes crashing to the floor, and dust falls from the ceiling. Again, and again, and again. BOOM!

Normally, you would be terrified in a situation like that. But not now. Not now because you are in the prison of that castle and are being held captive. The commander who is leading the attack on the castle is Jesus coming to save you. Knowing that, every crash, every clang, every shout of battle, every wall that crumbles around you means that your release and rescue is getting closer and closer. You see the morning sunlight breaking on the horizon, and you know that the day of your redemption is dawning.

Jesus says, “Your redemption is drawing near.” Now, you might be thinking, “Wait a minute! I thought Jesus already brought redemption.” As long as we’ve been Christians, we have been taught that Jesus has redeemed us – bought and freed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil with His holy and precious blood and with His innocent sufferings and death. 1 Peter 1:18-19 says that Christ is the Lamb without blemish or spot who has redeemed us. Hebrews 9:12 says that Jesus entered once into the Holy Place by means of His own blood and secured for us an eternal redemption. Jesus said so Himself on the cross, “It is finished”(Jn. 19:30). Christ has made full satisfaction for all your sins. So, why does Jesus, when He is talking about the end of the world, why does He talk about your redemption drawing near as though it is something in the future?

Christ does it to encourage, comfort, and teach you that in His second coming, everything that He has already accomplished for you in His first coming will be fully yours when He returns. It is yours now by faith, and it will be yours by experience when He returns. Yes, your redemption is complete. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, left to be done. Jesus has purchased you. The transaction is complete. You belong to Him. And all the signs that Jesus mentions here are like tracking updates for a package you are waiting for, and the goods will be delivered soon.

Dear saints, this fallen, sinful world is walking straight into a trap that will devour them and be their end. But not you. For you, Christian, you who have been redeemed by Christ, Jesus’ return is no trap. It is your great hope and expectation. It is your liberation. It is the day of your deliverance and eternal freedom.

We don’t like it when the world seems to be coming apart at the seams. Our fear probably lies in the fact that this world is all we have experienced and known. So, when we see it falling apart at an alarming rate, we get anxious. Repent. This world is not all there is.

This world is ending. Good riddance. Every sign pointing to the end of this world is a sign of your rescue. Those signs are pointing you to the return of your Deliverer, your King, your Savior. Come quickly, Lord Jesus (Rev. 22:20). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.